Drama series based on Reena Virk's murder does 'great disservice,' says retired cop
A true crime drama based on the 1997 murder of British Columbia teen Reena Virk does “a great disservice” to the victim, her family and her community, says a retired cop who worked on the original investigation.
The Disney Plus miniseries “Under the Bridge,” which premieres Wednesday, centres on the real-life story of Virk, who was 14 when she was swarmed and beaten by a group of teens in Saanich, B.C., and subsequently drowned in a waterway.
Retired staff sergeant Chris Horsley, who served as a media liaison for the Saanich Police Department during the Virk case, says he hasn't seen any episodes but worries about whether the show compromises accuracy for "dramatic effect.”
"It's sad in a way because there's a lot of significant trauma in the real investigation,” he says over the phone from Victoria.
“But it's a Hollywood production, right? Unfortunately, it's made on the memory of someone who was in fact murdered here. So I probably won't watch the TV series.”
Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough star as a Saanich police officer and writer investigating Virk’s death. Keough plays a version of late author Rebecca Godfrey, whose 2005 book “Under the Bridge,” about Virk’s murder, serves as the basis for the show.
Horsley says none of the investigators involved in the Virk case heard from the "Under the Bridge" production team during the series’ development and a spokesperson for the Saanich Police Department also says they were not consulted.
“The minute that the production strays from the truth and starts to become fiction, I think that is a great disservice to not only Reena and her memory but also to the people who worked on the case and those who participated here in the community,” says Horsley, adding that several anti-violence programs were launched in the Greater Victoria area following Virk’s murder.
Publicists for the production with Disney Plus Canada did not respond to a request for comment.
Horsley says Virk’s death is, to this day, the “biggest media story” Saanich has ever had.
“It was very unique having not just young offenders but young female offenders committing such a degree of violence. I don't think it was something we got our heads around at that point.”
Episodes made available in advance portray Godfrey, who co-produced the series with creator Quinn Shephard before her death in 2022, as participating with police in the investigation. Horsley says this was not the case.
“That didn't happen at all. She didn't write the book for long after the incident took place.”
In the pilot, Virk’s uncle and father, played by Anoop Desai and Ezra Faroque Khan, visit the police station to report the girl missing but officers don’t take them seriously.
Horsley also counters this, saying school officials reported her missing and that Virk was living in a group home at the time because of a troubled relationship with her parents.
He adds that Virk’s family had an “excellent working relationship” with the police.
According to documents released by the Parole Board of Canada last month, Virk’s killer Kelly Ellard — who changed her name to Kerry Sim — told her case managers it was “so horrendous” that the series will “re-victimize the victim's family."
Horsley says he expects that far more than just those connected directly to the case will be impacted by the series.
“It's not just the family that would be retraumatized. I think it’s also friends of Reena and other people that lived in the community that were affected by the murder,” says Horsley.
“The vast majority of the viewing audience, they don't have that personal connection, but here in Victoria there's many people that do. It's been 27 years but there's still a lot of people in Victoria that were affected by this murder.”
Horsley says he’s perturbed by the proliferation of true crime shows “that are loosely based on real events.”
“The tragedy for me is they’re not loosely based on real victims,” he says.
“These are real people with families that were murdered. And a lot of people are watching for entertainment value.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'No sign of life' at crash site of helicopter carrying Iran's president
Rescuers on Monday found a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which had crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran the day before.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Toxic drugs circulating in northeastern Ont., police say
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.